Blood is Thicker than Water
by hfish7
Summary: When Will notices that the past few months have been taking their toll on Jay, he plans a road trip to get him away from it all. But what will happen when a freak accident leaves the brothers far from help when they need it most? Can Jay control his inner demons, or will they end both of them?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Road Trip

Jay stared out the window at the miles and miles of open fields. The air conditioner was blasting against the crazy Chicago heat outside. The two were on their way home from a brothers weekend. Will knew that the past few months had been hard on Jay, and wanted to get him away, and give him a break. He could see that his mind was starting to wonder once again, and he feared he would once again lose Jay to his time in the war.

"You remember that time mom took us to that petting zoo out here?" Will asked with a smile.

"Yea. I remember you freaking out because the goat bit your hand." Jay said, cracking a smile for what seemed like the first time in forever.

"And then baby Jay walked right up and fed it no problem. Dad didn't let me live that down for years!" Will said, rolling his eyes, but still laughing.

"So I heard what happened with you and Natalie. Are you guys a thing now?" Jay asked, changing the subject before it could be switched to him, even though he knew it was inevitable.

"It's...complicated. I don't really know yet. How'd you find out?" Will asked after a pause, when it hit him that he hasn't told anyone, so how come his brother knew?

"I heard the nurses gossiping at Molly's the other night. Trust me, I get complicated. But if you can learn anything from me, it should be not to wait or put it off for to long, or it might be gone." He answered.

"I know. I just don't want to rush things. I have to make sure she's ready for this." Will said slowly.

"From what I heard, she is. Is it true she took her sabbatical so she could figure out her feelings for you?" Jay asked, glad it was his turn to prod, as it had been the other way around for most of the trip.

"Yea. I think it was good for both of us to figure stuff out. Now we decide where we go from here." Will said.

"What? What's that look about?" He asked when he saw Jay's smirk.

"Nothing, it's just that it's about damn time!" He replied, his smile growing. Will matched it with his own, and they started laughing together.

 **Later…**

Will glanced towards the passenger's seat, and turned the radio down when he saw that Jay had finally actually fallen asleep. It came as a surprise, as he knew that his ptsd had come back in the last few days, and he hadn't been functioning very well. That was the whole point of the trip, to get him away from everything. He knew he had to be tired, as had spent a decent portion of the night listening to Jay toss and turn, waking up multiple times. He recalled having to quickly pretend he was asleep each time Jay would jump awake so he wouldn't feel bad. By now he wondered how long it would last. As if on cue, Jay began to shake his his head violently. He saw sweat beads start to form on his forehead as incoherent mumbles filled the car. As they pulled up to a stop sign, Will gently reached over and put a hand on Jay's shoulder, even though he knew this was probably a bad idea.

"Jay! Hey, wake up! It's me!" He said, watching as Jay slowly woke up. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Where were you this time?" Will asked.

"What do you mean?" Jay questioned, trying to seem confused, but obviously deflecting.

"Jay, you know exactly what I mean. You need to talk to someone about what you're going through, and since you're currently stuck in this car, that someone is gonna be me." he answered.

"Afghanistan. There, you happy?" Was all Jay answered, staring blankly ahead."Jay, come on. Please talk to me! That's why I wanted to get you away!" Will pleaded.

"Oh, so you could _shrink_ me? Yea you tried that already. It didn't work." Jay said. His gaze dropped to his left hand, and he began to stare at a jagged scar that stretched from the bottom of his index finger to the bottom of his palm on the opposite side.

"That scar have anything to do with it?" Will asked when he noticed Jay tracing it with his finger, a far away look creeping into his eyes.

"Yea. Let's just say this is what happens when you try to stop a fight between two hungry, sleep deprived, pissed off soldiers unprepared." Jay said with a sigh.

"So you broke up a fight and got a gash that big on your hand? How'd it happen?" Will asked again.

"It's a long story." Jay brushed it off.

"Yea, well we've got time." Will answered. Jay realized that he wasn't going to give up any time soon, so he decided to give in.

"Fine. It was about four months into my second tour. My unit was somewhere deep in the desert in the middle of the hottest part of the year. Our mission was to take out the local human and weapon trafficking scumbag, Abdul Rasheem."

" _I could've had him Reece!" Jack stormed over to the other officer as they filed out of the banged up truck they were using to fit in and hide their identity. Jay sighed as he hopped out and shot Logan a look. It had been a long, hot day hunkered down in the hills waiting for their target to walk out into the open, and when he finally did, it was all for nothing._

" _What, and kill a kid in the process?! Commander made it very clear that there are to be no civilian casualties! The government doesn't know we're here, and it needs to stay that was unless you want to start World War three! We are way too close to having Rasheem's head to jeopardize the mission." Jesse shook his head, and turned to walk away._

" _One shot, and I could've had that for you! You kept me from getting justice for Joe! He was my best friend!" Jack said._

" _Yea well he was my brother!" Jesse yelled._

" _You sure don't act like it!" jack snapped. Jay and Logan took a step closer, seeing the rage that flooded into Jesse's eyes. The rest of the men had ignored the conversation and went to set up their beds for the night, or hadn't even heard it at all._

"Wait, why would this Jack guy want to kill him for Jesse? What happened to his brother?" Will asked.

"About a week before this, another Ranger Unit was ambushed by Rasheem and his men. Joe Reece was one of the fatalities. By the time my unit leader, Derek, got word, we already one under in the organization, and a location on him. Higher ups wouldn't let us drop it." Jay explained.

"But isn't that a conflict of interest?" Will asked.

"That's what we all thought, Jesse was always a pretty level headed guy. He hid his emotions. Besides, he told Derek that the only way he was leaving the country without Rasheem being dead was if he was in casket." Jay answered.

"Hard to argue with that. Makes sense, so what was the other guys problem?"

"Jack and Jesse were opposites. Jack was a hot head. He thought he had a shot, but it wasn't a clear one. We all knew it, but he didn't want to admit it. He just wanted the glory for taking out the top trafficker at the time, nothing else."

"He sounds like a piece of work." Will said with a scoff.

"He was. But all in all, he was a damn good soldier. Saved my life a few times in boot camp." Jay said with a sigh.

"So what happened next?" Will asked, trying to keep him talking.

" _You son of a..!" Jesse yelled, catching Jack directly on the jaw. Before the others realized what was happening, the two soldiers were in a fight of brute strength. Jay and Logan knew they had to break it up. Then things began to spiral out of control when Jack picked up an empty beer bottle and launched it at Jesse. He ducked just in time, and they watched it shatter on the ground._

" _Alright! That's enough!" Logan yelled, and he and Jay rushed in and each grabbed one of them men. Jay grabbed Jack's arms and pinned them behind his back. He struggled against the grip, but Jay had a good three inches in height and muscle on him, so it was in vain. He forcefully turned Jack away from his adversary, trying to walk him away. Just as he turned, Jesse freed himself from Logan's grasp, and landed a punch that was meant for Jack just below his temple. Jay felt his feet go out from under him, and put his hands out to break his fall. Unfortunately, he fell into the pile of glass. He felt a sting in his palm, but jumped back up when he saw that Jack and rushed back to where Logan had finally gotten a tighter grip on Jesse. He put his other hand on Jack's chest._

" _Walk away! NOW!" Jay said. Jack narrowed his eyes, trying to catch his breath, and pushed Jays shoulders. Jay stumbled slightly, then steadied himself. He shoved him back, but harder._

" _Don't start with me man!" Jay said. They all turned as their commander stormed towards them._

" _You two! In my tent right now! I'll be in in a minute, and if anything is out of place, I will have you both out on the next chopper, and I will replace you with guys who know how to act right! We don't have time for this!" the two men said nothing and made their way towards the tent. Then Commander Lantz turned to the peacemakers._

" _Another fight about Joe?" He asked._

" _Yea. Third one since we left the sight." Logan answered._

" _Lou said he almost shot a kid today? What's the deal with that?" he asked._

" _Rasheem came out of the meeting and I had a clear shot, but something spooked him. He picked up a kid for insurance, and I lost him in the crowd. Jesse had to force him to stand down." Jay explained, wiping his hand on his pant leg. Lantz was about to ask another question, but stopped when he noticed the bright red saint that was now streaked across Jays pants._

" _You alright Halstead?" he asked, coming over for a closer look._

" _Yea I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Jay shrugged it off._

" _Did one of them stab you?" Lantz asked, looking closer at the leg for a rip._

" _No, nothing like that. Jesse decided he wanted one more swing, and I was trying to get Jack away from him, so my arms were occupied. I took one to the eye, and fell on that bottle he threw." Jay explained, briefly showing his hand._

" _That's pretty deep. I'll have Tyrell take you to the base tomorrow to have it looked at." Lantz said, looking at the cut._

" _No that's not necessary." Jay answered, starting to walk away._

" _What do you mean? Halstead, your our best sniper! We can't afford to lose you just because of some stupid argument!" Commander yelled._

" _That's exactly why I can't go! Jesse didn't tell you yet, but we have credible intel on Rasheem's location. We're going to move on it tomorrow. I'll stitch it myself, I've done it before." Jay said, and walked away despite the prot….._

"Old habits die hard I guess." Will said, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

"You wanna hear the rest of the story?"

"Yea." Will replied with a smirk.

"Then shut up." Will raised a hand off the steering wheel in surrender.

" _Your crazy, you know that?" Jay looked up from the table as he heard Logan enter the room. The tall, slender built man shook his head as he ran a hand through his shaggy red hair. They'd been stuck in this valley for about a month now, which meant the short cropped haircut had given way to longer locks._

" _So I've been told." He answered. He looked back to his work, and closed his eyes as he stuck the needle into his skin._

" _How doesn't that hurt?!" Logan asked, turning away._

" _It does. We've been over this before." Jay said, blowing out a breath of pain as he tied off the last stitch._

" _Yeah, but that time it was a lot smaller and only took like two minutes! Did you clean it out? Did you sterilize the needle and everything? Did you…"_

" _Yes mom, I did. Just bandage it for me while I clean up please." Jay said sarcastically, then smiled at his friend._

"So how many stitches was it?" Will asked.

"What?" Jay asked, not realizing right away that Will had cut in again.

"Stitches? How many did it take, and without numbing it? And you had done it before?" Will probed.

"I don't remember exactly, it was a long time ago. I think it was like eight. I have a tiny scar on my ankle from a getting stuck trying to get through a barbed wire fence. Turns out tear gas is hard on you even if your running away from it." Jay said.

"Tear gas? In Afghanistan?" Will asked, confused.

"That's a story for a different time. Now I was just about to answer your next question, so **please** stop interrupting me!" Nay said with an annoyed sigh.

"Ok, sorry! Continue." Will answered.

"Thank you."

 _Jay tucked everything back into the medical kit, and looked back to where Logan finished the wrapping, then added a layer of medical tape to keep everything in place._

" _We got any Advil left?" he asked, trying to shake the stinging out of his hand._

" _I got some." Jesse said after he and Jack entered the tent. He caught the bottle that was tossed at him with the opposite hand, and unscrewed it one handed. He popped two in and swallowed, ignoring the sour taste of the coating._

" _Look, I'm sorry about….all that. I was hot and tired, and I shouldn't have said any of what I did. It was stupid, and now I might've just taken out the best sniper we have." Jack apologized._

" _I should be the one feeling guilty about that one. Your good, right?" Jesse asked._

" _This isn't my first rodeo, I'll be fine. I know we'll all feel better when one of us puts a slug in Rasheem, doesn't matter who. How bout' we just focus on that?" Jay said, pulling off his uniform and the tank top underneath before flopping onto his cot._

" _Hooah!" Logan yelled from the bed next to him. Jay smiled, and answered the chant with the rest of them._

"So there you have it. That's how I got this massive scar." Jay finished.

"Wow. Sounds like you miss it." Will said quietly. He thought he had lost him again when there was a pause, and silence fell over the car.

"Sometimes. Then I remember all the guys I had to watch die, and suddenly I don't anymore." Jay said, staring out the window once again.

"Is that why you were crying just before I woke you up?" Will pressed.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day I pulled Logan and Jesse out of our humvee. It was three days after the fight. We had gotten Rasheem and were on are way to base for ex-fil when we drove over an IED. It was smaller than they usually are, but still big enough to k….." Jay trailed off. Will felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He could see the sorrow in his brothers eyes, and it killed him that he had to carry this.

"Jack didn't make it?" Will asked, though he already knew the answer.

"No. I went back for him. I had him. I was just about to pull him out when my hand slipped, and before I knew it the fire had reached the gas tank. I had him." Jay said, drifting off again, remembering the ringing in his ears, feeling like someone was sitting in his chest. Feeling Logan grab the shoulder strap of his vest and drag him away from the wreckage. The rest of the team pulled the second humvee up beside them minutes later, then blacking out into darkness.

"According to Logan, this wasn't your fault. He told me the second half of that story soon after I met him. Said you save his and Jesse's life. That's something to be proud of." Will said, trying to comfort Jay.

"Yea, maybe." He replied.

 **Later…**

Will looked over to the passengers seat, surprised to see Jay engulfed in a book. The brothers had spent the night at their relatives house in the nearby town, and toured the town their mom had grown up had found the thick book he was now holding on the dusty bookcase of the family house. They had eaten breakfast in the corner cover shop, then gotten back on the road.

"You really should be wearing your seatbelt, you know." Will said.

"Why, it's all back roads?" Jay questioned. They were both snapped to attention was a loud bang sounded in front of them. They were following a pickup truck that was hauling construction materials. A steps had come loose, and because of the speed they were going, the tailgate flew open, releasing the contents of the truck all over the road. Before Will could react, his tire went over a spilled pile of screws, popping it. He swerved to try to avoid a stray toolbox, but lost control of the car. Jay tried to brace himself, but it was to late. As they spun out of control, the tire that was now ripped open rolled into a pothole. The speed of the car sent it rolling into a dangerous crash. It was stopped by a nearby tree stump. The jolting stop in momentum paired with Jays unbuckled belt sent him crashing through the already damaged windshield and into the ditch alongside the road. The moment his head crashed through the glass, his world went black.


	2. Chapter 2: Stay with me

Chapter 2: Stay with me

Fogginess hung over Jay like a thick, heavy cloud. As soon as he opened his eyes, he was met with an indescribable amount of pain. It started at the top of his head and surged through his veins down to the soles of his feet. He blinked rapidly as his mind began to trick him. Every time he closed and opened his eyes again, his view changed from lush green fields to pale yellow dust. As he pulled himself off the ground, his eyes met the vehicle he had just been thrown from. He pushed himself to his feet, and began to stumble towards it.

"Jay no!" He whirled around as quickly as his body would allow at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Logan!" He yelled, but as he blinked again, the shadowy figure disappeared. He turned back around, and looked in horror as a hand reached out of the open car door to him. He sprinted over, watching flames leap into the air from the front of the hood.

"Jack! Hold on! I'm gonna get you out!" Jay screamed over the crackling fire.

"J….Jay! It's Wi...Will!" Will said, his confusion leaving him as soon as he heard himself called by the wrong name. He saw the glossy look in his brothers eyes, and knew exactly what was happening. Jay was back in the Afghan desert. Will had done a quick self evaluation, and knew that he was likely bleeding internally. He also knew that if he didn't get out of this car soon, the rib that he could tell was pushing into his lung would soon rip it open. He had to get Jay back to present day.

"Don't worry Jack, the rest of the units coming! I've got you!" Jay said as he pulled Will out of the car with one fierce tug. Pain exploded in Will's chest and abdomen as Jay somehow managed to hoist him over his shoulders and carry him away from the mangled car. When they had gotten a few feet away, Jay carefully lowered him to the ground, then began to yell to people behind him that only Will knew weren't there. He knew if he didn't get Jay back, both of them would die. He reached up and grabbed the side of Jay's face, turning it to him.

"Jay! Look at me! Th….this is Will! Your in Chicago, no…..not Afghanistan! Hey! We were in an accident, and I need you to come back and stay with me ok?!" Will said calmly, never loosening the grip on Jay's head. He watched as Jay processed what he had said, and the faraway look slowly left his eyes. Jay looked down at the man in front of him, and watched and listened as the camo disappeared and the gunfire was replaced by the sound of birds in the nearby trees. He took a deep breath as everything began to make more sense. With the feeling of normalcy also came the severe pain that sat mostly in his head, shoulder, and legs.

"Wh...what happened?" he asked, looking around at all the blood, and trying to figure out which was his and which was coming from Will.

"The bang you heard wasn't an IED, it was the tire popping on all those screws. That construction truck lost all the stuff on its bed and we ran over it. They must not have heard the accident because they didn't come back." Will explained.

"Are...are you ok? What hurts?" Jay asked, finally focused enough to look him over.

"That's my line." He answered with a laugh, but quickly stopped when the pain intensified.

"It's my….chest. My guess, a few broken ribs, one of which is currently about to puncture my lung. Other than that, nothing major." Will replied.

"And who does that sound like?" Jay said.

"Wait, you didn't have your seatbelt on, did you. That means you….my god Jay, you went through the windshield! How'd you manage to get me out after something like that?! Tell me what hurts, and tell me everything!" Will demanded as he pieced everything together. His worry turned to fear as he watched Jay try to answer, then suddenly drop from where he had been in a sitting position, onto the ground.

"Dammit Jay! Stay with me!" Will yelled, ignoring his own pain and pushing himself off the ground to get closer to his brother. He opened his eyelids, praying they would react to the light. When they did, he tried to look closer, soon finding a gaping hole right on the hairline where the crash ripped open his brothers head. He looked closer, and cursed under his breath as he saw white, with a crack in that layer to. Jays head was split down to the bone, and the recent fall had cracked it open just a little wider to reveal a bit of pink. His brain was exposed, albeit ever so slightly. Will grunted in pain as he yanked off his jacket to press onto the wound. He then decided to carefully roll him onto his back. As he did, the movement put just enough pressure on his side to force the rib the rest of the way through the protective layer of his lung. His scream of pain echoed in the trees as he collapsed back to the hot grass beneath him.

 **Later…**

Jay squeezed his eyes against the sun that was beating through them. He shielded himself, and turned onto his side despite the fierce protests from his head, and looked frantically for his brother. He saw him lying just a foot away on his back, motionless. Jay scrambled over, dragging his badly broken leg from what he could tell, behind him.

"Will! Come on man, wake up!" Jay begged, pressing his fingers to the side of his neck. A pulse beat beneath them, and his eyes flickered open.

"Your not breathing right! Dammit, your the doctor here! What do I do?!" Jay yelled after listening to the wheezing sounds coming from his brothers chest. Will became more aware of his surroundings once again, and realized what needed to happen, even though he really hated it.

"I n...need you to put a ch...chest t...tube in…." Will said. He could feel his breaths getting more and more shallow, and knew it was the only way.

"You want _me_ to open up your chest?! Are you insane?!" Jay asked in shock.

"Look….without it…..I'm...g...gonna stop...breathing. I'll talk you...through it." Will said. Jay finally nodded, then forced himself to this feet, and back towards the car to gather supplies.

"Ok, I got everything, what do I do?" Jay asked. Will had been able to steady his breathing enough to get out a full sentence.

"Find my first….rib." He said.

"Uh..got it." Jay said.

"Ok, now count down to the fourth and fifth."

"Yea…"

"Make a two inch…..cut...right in between...the ribs." Will said, bracing himself for the pain that was about to follow. Jay flinched, forcing himself to keep a steady hand despite every fiber of his being telling him to stop when he heard Will's scream.

"Wha….what's next?" Jay asked, his entire body shaking.

"ahhhggg! O…...ok. Stick your fin...ger….in to make sure….nothing is blocking the way. Then p….put the...tube in. Do….don't stop no matter…... how much...I scream…..I'll probably…..pass out soon...but your.…. doing gr...great." Will forced the words out, slipping away more with each one. Jay did as he has instructed him, and pushed the tube in, trying desperately to block out the screams. Just as he said, Will soon passed out. Jay then pulled him further into the shelter he had built from blanket and clothes and stuff he had found in what was left of the car. He took a small drink, and tried to slow his breathing, before checking his phone once again. Still no signal. They were all alone out here.

 **Later…**

Will woke up a few hours later to see the shelter Jay had made. Jay was off to the side rummaging through his bag, then pulling out a roll of bandage.

"Good, you're awake! I found that case of water I bought at our last stop. Turns out the fire hasn't gotten that far into the car yet. I got our bags out and the excessively large first aid kit you packed." Jay said, glancing over at him.

"Perks of being a doctor and also being paranoid I guess." Will said with a weak grin, not daring to laugh.

"What're you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Making myself a cast. My legs broken and I'd be shocked if my ankle isn't also. I think I hit it on that tree stump when I flew out of the window. How're you feeling?" he replied nonchalantly.

"I've been better, but I'm ok right now. I told you you should've had a seatbelt on." Will said, looking down at his brothers handiwork. He now knew just how badly a chest tube hurt, and was actually surprised he was awake.

"How did I know you were gonna say that." Jay rolled his eyes, and finished taping up his leg. He then pulled himself up, grabbing onto a nearby tree to balance himself as the world around him spun faster and faster. He put a hand on his forehead, feeling like that was the only thing keeping it from splitting in half. He tried to stifle it, but a groan of pain slipped out anyway.

"What's happening? Take a deep breath. You ok?" Will asked worriedly.

"I'msshm finnnne. Fine." Jay blinked, trying to control his words that slurred together.

"Jay, that head wound is pretty bad, and you definitely have a nasty concussion. After the two you've had before this, I don't know how much more your brain can handle. You need to lay down and rest!" Will said, everything in him telling him he should get up and go help Jay, but he knew he was in bad shape himself.

"I'll be ok. I...just need to put my shoulder back in and then ishlllresht…." Jay said, annoyance creeping in when the last words wouldn't come out right. Will watched helplessly as Jay backed up a few steps, and rammed the back of his shoulder into a tree as hard as he could.

"What in gods name! Jay! What the heck are you doing!" Will yelled over Jays yelp of pain.

"Putting my shoulder back in." Jay said between breaths.

"I can assure you that's not how you do it! Are you trying to make it worse or something?!" he asked, still shocked.

"It worked, ok. Calm down!" Jay said, then slumped down next to his brother. He handed him a water bottle, and propped his head up on a pile of clothes.

After hours of them both drifting in and out of consciousness, Jay woke up to realize that the sun was going down. He reached into his bag and fumbled around until his hand ran over what he was looking for. He pulled his handgun out, suddenly feeling safer with it in his hands. Will stirred again, looking over at him.

"You brought your gun?" Will asked with surprise.

"I never leave home without it. Besides, its about to be pitch dark out here, and were in the woods. Neither of us is in any shape to defend ourselves, so we'll have to rely on metal and gunpowder." Jay answered, huffing in annoyance when the bullet slipped out of his shaking hand. A pounding returned to his head when he tried to focus to closely on something as small as a chamber. He shut his eyes and took a breath, having deja vu remembering his time in the rehab room after his occipital fracture.

"You ok?" Will asked, seeing everything.

"Yea, my eyes are just focusing slower that usual. It happens occasionally since the explosion." He answered, brushing it off. He looked back over, and Will was out again. He knew that was normal with his injuries, but he still couldn't help but worry. He sighed, stopping soon after when the deep breath brought back the pain in his stomach. He ignored it, and finally slid the bullet into his gun, then another. He set it in his lap, and laid his head back against one of the trees that was holding their shelter.

 **Later…**

Jay felt the sun beating down on him once again. _Wait, isn't it nighttime?_ Jay thought, confused. That was only compounded when he opened his eyes, and found was laying in the bed at Erin's old apartment. His old apartment. He pulled himself into a sitting position as someone walked around the corner and into the bedroom, climbing onto the bed next to him. The haze around the face cleared, and a warm smile came across his face.

"Hey." Jay said.

"All this time, and all I get is a "hey"? wow." Erin said with a crooked smile.

"Yeah, well you left me. I'm glad your back though." Jay said, reaching to hold her hand. A hint of surprise creeped in when his hand seemed to go right through hers. She ignored it and kept talking.

"I didn't have a choice. Seems like you need me though." She said. Jay followed her gaze to his abdomen, which was littered with cuts and blood. He flinched when he touched one of the cuts, then looked back to her when the pain seeped in. "I wish I could help you, but you need to wake up now. Will needs you. Wake up….wake up….Jay…..jay…."

"Jay! Wake up! Did you hear that?!" Will asked. Jay opened his eyes and looked around him, sadly realizing everything he had just seen was all a dream. He looked in the direction Erin had vanished into, praying with everything in him that it was real. Instead, it was more woods. He finally looked back to Will, who knew he finally had gotten his brothers attention.

"There's something…..coming towards us." Will said. Jay listened to the snapping of twigs as it got closer and closer. He thought it could be human until he saw the fluorescent yellow eyes staring back at him that could only belong to one animal. A mountain lion.

Jay picked his gun up, shushing Will as the animal crept closer, likely drawn by the fire that had now diminished, mixed with the smell of a wounded animal, which happened to be the two of them. Jay raised his weapon, thinking that the cat would make his way past them if they didn't make a noise. Then, for some reason, the animal decided it wanted a piece of them Jay watched it jump towards them, and pulled the trigger.

The ear-piercing bang that filled the quiet night air left a ringing in Jays ears and a pounding in his head. He wasn't sure if he had hit his target until he heard it drop and roll into the bottom of the ditch below them.

"You glad I brought it with now?" Jay asked.

"If there wasn't a hole in my side, I'd hug you right now!" Will answered.

"I guess we'll just have to postpone it for a little while then, huh?" Jay said. Will huffed his answer, and the brothers were soon back to sleep.

/

 **Disclaimer: I don't know much of anything about actual surgery or putting in chest tubes. This is based somet off how I've seen other tv shows do it. So basically, don't quote me on any of the medical procedures described in this chapter! Thanks for reading, leave a review with what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- I'm bringing the Cavalry

Will reached over in their shelter slowly and looked at the date on his phone screen. He felt the sun beating down on the blanket that was tied to the branches above them to cover them. Today would be the third day the brothers were stranded in these woods. He knew he was in pretty bad shape, and had kind of come to terms with it, but he also knew that Jay was hiding things from him. He couldn't decide if it was because he didn't want him to worry, or if he was trying to convince himself he was fine. Then, a much scarier idea crept it's way into Will's mind. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew it was the most likely one, especially with everything that had happened to Jay recently. Jay was hiding things because he was starting to care less and less. First Erin leaving, then the thing with the kid, then everything with that Camilla girl and her brother. His ptsd coming back made everything worse, and now this to top it off? Jay couldn't seem to catch a break. Will sighed, wishing more than anything that he could just take it all off of him. He hated seeing him depressed, and couldn't help his older-sibling instincts from taking over.

He carefully pulled himself up, putting a hand over the hole in his side where the tube was still somehow in there and even taped down. He grabbed a nearby water bottle and looked at their supply. This was the last one. He took only a small amount, knowing they would need to share it. Alarm bells went off in his mind as he moved his hand from his side to hold the bottle, and saw blood. Sure, there was dried blood all over both of them, but this was fresh. He looked down and saw a new trail of blood running from his side. The pain came rushing back, and he nearly collapsed back to the dirt. Then he realized that Jay hadn't woken up yet, and he had always been the first one awake. He slowly moved closer, and was immediately riddled with panic. Jay's skin was bright red, without a single bead of sweat. He felt for a pulse, and got exactly what he expected. It was strong but slow and hardly steady.

"Jay. Come on, you gotta wake up." Will said, lightly tapping his face. His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned at the light. He sat up, but tried to do it to fast.

"Wh...what are you doing up?" he asked Will.

"Checking on you. You need water, and you need to lay down. Here." He answered, holding the bottle up to his lips. Jay took a drink, then laid back down. Just when Will thought he was going to be ok for a little, he heard a gurgling sound coming from Jays throat, and the worry came rushing back.

"Roll over, roll over! Come on now!" Will said frantically as he used every ounce of strength he had left to push Jay onto his side, knowing that if he didn't, he would choke on his own vomit.

Once the ordeal was over, Jay proper himself up on a tree. Will held the bottle up again, watching as he could barely hold still. His pupils couldn't focus on anything, and he could tell he was dizzy.

"Just try to relax. Your having a heat stroke. This and your head injury can't be good together. We need to get out of here, like **now**." Will said.

"And….how do...y...you pl...ll..an to do that?" Jay asked slowly.

"Well I was hoping for a miracle." He said. _Come on please...please…_ he thought to himself as he picked up his phone. He switched it on, and had he not been in some of the worst pain of his life, he would've started jumping up and down. In fact, he wondered how he was even able to sit up, but knew it had to be adrenaline.

"I've got a signal!" Will said, relief washing over both of them. He scrolled through his contacts, and pushed the name, excitement and hope building in him.

 _Pick up, pick up_ , _pick up!_

"Hey Will! It's been a while, I thought you were gonna call me when you got to the hotel last night!" Natalie said as she sat on the couch in the break room. She had just walked in, and heard her phone buzzing on the table.

"Nat! God, its so good to hear your voice!" Will said with a sigh.

"Yea, yours to! Is..is everything ok? You don't sound good." She asked, hearing a hint of pain in his voice.

"I...we...we need help. We got in an accident. We've b...been stranded in the woods. We're running out of everything and Jay….he's fading pretty fast." Will explained. Shock and panic took over Natalie as the words settled in.

"Where are you? How bad are you hurt?" Natalie asked, now starting to pace.

"I….I don't know. Just get someone here Nat. It's bad." Will said, not wanting to scare her.

"Um….uh ok just..just stay on the line with me. I'm gonna have Antonio trace your call! I'm just getting off shift." She answered, grabbing her coat and keys and running out. She briefly yelled what was happening to Maggie as she ran out.

 **Minutes later…**

"Ok, I'm pulling into the precinct now. You still with me?!" Natalie asked as he shut of the car and jumped out.

"Y...yea. Pl….please hurry." Will said, gasping for breaths. He looked down and saw that the tube had come out, and brought with it a waterfall of blood.

"Will! Are you ok?! Will!" Natalie yelled. There was no reply, then suddenly a loud thud. She put a hand over her mouth as the line sounded as though it went dead. She ran to the front desk towards Platt.

"I need you to buzz me up to intelligence right now!" Natalie nearly screamed.

"Natalie? What do you…"

"Jay and Will were in an accident and I need to trace this call **right now**! Please, Will just stopped talking to me! They could be dying!" Natalie yelled. Platt looked around as everyone in the room looked towards them.

"N….no...not…..yet." Jays voice sounded over the phone.

"Jay! What happened! Are you ok? Is Will ok?" Natalie asked.

"He's out… the chest tube...fell out. I'm trying to stop the bleeding. Get….me…...Antonio." Jay said, pressing a shirt to the wound.

"Chest tube?! What!?" Natalie asked, in more shock than ever. The minute she came to the front desk, she had put the phone on speaker. When Trudy heard Jays voice, she immediately reached down and buzzed her up. Natalie thanked her, and sprinted up the steps.

The whole team looked up with a confused look as Natalie came charging up the steps. She explained everything, all the while trying to keep Jay talking, and telling him what to do to save his brother.

"Alright! I got a location! Hold on Jay, I'm bringing the cavalry!" Antonio said. He jumped up and followed Natalie down the stairs. She started to go back out to her car, but stopped when they called her.

"Hey! A police escort for those ambulances will make everything easier. Ride with us!" Antonio said. She nodded and followed them.

 **Later…**

Jay looked up towards the sound of sirens, and let out the breath he had been holding. Will was still unconscious next to him, with him seemingly holding what little blood Will had left in his body. He squeezed his eyes shut as the sound got closer and made his head spin, and feel as though it would split in two at the same time.

The cars slammed on the breaks after starring around the debris that littered the gravel road. Natalie gasped when she took in the sight in front of them.

"My god. How on earth did they survive?" Antonio asked, shaking his head when he looked at the mangled vehicle. They all jumped out and began to call for the brothers.

"Ov...er here!" Jay yelled with everything he had left in him. He sighed in relief once again when everyone ran over to them. Natalie dripped down next to Will, and took over Jay's job.

"Hey. Take it easy, we're gonna get you guys taken care of. Lucky for you, you actually not to far from Med." Antonio said. Jay nodded.

"Hey! Where my medic?!" Antonio yelled as Jays eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the grass. Soon, they were both loaded onto backboard and stretchers, and into separate ambulances. Add soon as the doors were closed, the race to save their lives commenced.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Hold on

Antonio watched as the paramedic raced around the ambulance hooking Jay up to what seemed like a million different monitors. This certainly wasn't the first time he had road in the back of an ambulance with him, but something in him told Antonio that this time, it was serious.

"How far from paved road? He's in hyperthermic shock, and if I don't get a line in him now, he'll go into cardiac arrest." The medic yelled to the one in the front.

"Too far to wait!" the driver answered.

"You a religious guy? Now might be a good time to send up a prayer or two for your friend." the medic said, looking up at Antonio. He nodded, and sent a few more prayers than usual.

"I need you to hold his arm as still as possible for me." She said, and Antonio did exactly that. She took a deep breath, and carefully stuck the needle into Jays arm. A few tense seconds later, she stood up and hung the bag of ice cold fluids.

"Alright, were in. He still is way to hot. That lavage won't start working for a few minutes, and he might not have that long. Get me all the ice packs in that cooler." The medic said, pointing to the box in the corner. Antonio grabbed it, and handed them to her. She cut off his shirt to expose his skin so the cold from the ice would go directly into his body without the barrier of fabric. Antonio shook his head at the sight of the young detectives abdomen. With all he had been through between his tours and his time home since, with being blown up, tortured, and shot more than his fair share of times, he figured Jay probably had a few scars, but this many? Most of them were small and barely noticeable, but they were there. One in particular caught his eye. It was a small line just below the collarbone on his left shoulder. As he looked at it closer, he was taken back to the day Jay got it.

 _Antonio slowed the car down, and parked in front of Molly's. He jumped out and flashed his badge to the officers who had put up police tape, and ran towards the entrance, searching the crowd outside for any sign of Gabby or Jay. The call over the radio said officer needs assistance. A multitude of questions raced through his mind, especially at the sight of the ambulance. Finally, he saw what he was looking for. A swish of brown hair. Concern grew in him as he looked past Gabby and saw that Jay was sitting on the stretcher behind her. Antonio could see that he was talking, meaning he was ok, right? As he got closer, he saw the reason. White bandage covered his left shoulder with a bright red splotch in the center of it, which could mean only one thing._

" _...just a through and through. You'll need a few stitches, but you should be fine." Gabby said. They talked for a while longer, Jay obviously unfazed by the ordeal._

"Sir? Hey….sir!" Antonio was snapped back to the present but the sound of the medics voice.

"Yea?" he answered.

"This head wound needs to be cared for. I need you to put a proper splint on his leg. He did a pretty good job with what he had, but if the dirt that's on those branches gets into the wound, he's in trouble, and he's got enough of that as is." She explained, then handed him the supplies. He nodded, taking the things from her, and getting to work. As he did, Jay's words from that day played over and over in his mind. _Intelligence. I want Intelligence._

 _Come on man. I brought you into this unit, and I better be the one that leaves it first. You gotta fight. You gotta hold on._

 **Later…**

"Alright that was Natalie. Will and Jay should be coming in any minute. They've been out in the elements for two days, so when you add that to the accident, their both in bad shape, and as much as we care about both of them, we're going to have to put away our feelings and give them the same care that Will always gives his patients." Maggie said to all the nurses gathered around. They had heard that the brothers were in an accident from what Natalie had briefly told Maggie on her way out. She hadn't had a connection for very long, so Maggie hadn't been able to get any info about what their injuries were, but they knew it wasn't good.

The doctors and nurses gathered supplies and got ready as the doors opened, and the brothers were rushed through. All eyes immediately went to Will, who came in first.

"He's got a punctured lung and his abdomen is filling with fluid. He's lost a lot of blood. Other than that, I'm not sure what else is going on." Natalie said, running alongside Will's stretcher, squeezing the bag of air that was ensuring his good lung was working properly. Just as they rolled him into the room, his eyes opened, and he began to panic as his gag reflex kicked in. He knew better than to try to move because of how much he hated when patients do that, but…..Jay?! Where was he?

"J….j…"

"Take it easy. We got you. He's right behind you. We're gonna fix you both in no time." Connor said, almost trying to assure himself of the same idea. Will was out soon after he was assured Jay was being taken care of. Connor sighed. He had seen his share of bad accidents, but this one hit him hard. Will was family, and now he was barely hanging on. He glanced up at Natalie as they moved the bags over. He knew how much she cared about him, and he also knew they were dating. After this time with Robin, he now knew exactly when people were hiding a relationship, because he had done it.

"Alright, let's move him on my count. 1...2….3!" Connor said, grabbing the handles on the backboard.

"Hang a bag of O- blood, morphine, and the right fluids. Get me a new chest tube. Let's get a chest x-ray so I can see what I'm working with." He said. April nodded, and pushed the machine over as Natalie replaced the tube. She taped the tube down, and then they all turned to watch the monitor as his x-rays came up. Connor shook his head at the sight in front of him. _He was out there like that for_ _ **two**_ _days?!_ Then he looked at the color of the blood on the gurney and floor, and put it together.

"Call the OR tell them we'll be up in three. There's an infection in his blood from the wound, and if we don't completely re-circulate blood, it'll take over his lungs." Connor said, pushing the machine away. They were just about to push the sides of the gurney up, when he suddenly started convulsing.

"He's seizing! Push adovane and watch that tube!" Natalie said, her voice cracking with worry. She held his head still, making sure the intubation tube didn't move or choke him. It took three nurses to hold him down so April could stick the needle into his arm. Her breathing slowed when the seizure finally stopped. Will's head slumped to the side, and the machines leveled out, and everything returned to safe levels. Natalie reached over and hooked the ventilator to the tube in his throat, moving his head. She stroked his head, moving his hair off of his forehead. It was matted down with a mixture of blood and sweat, and she wanted more than anything to clean it off.

"Natalie. Hey...Natalie, we gotta go. I gotta take him now." Connor said, putting a hand on hers. He knew how hard this was, but if he didn't take him now, she might never get him back. Natalie realized what she was doing, and nodded. She stepped back, and then saw the small audience that had formed outside the room. Some of it dissipated once Will was wheeled out, but a few stayed. Maggie came over and gently steered her out of the room.

"Let's get someone to clean that blood up as soon as possible." Sharon said to one of the nurses standing nearby. She watched as Maggie took Natalie into the break room, and sighed with worry. Her attention was drawn away when she heard the shaky voice of Noah from a treatment room across the hall.

"Uh...I...I need help in here!" Noah yelled as he looked down at the blood that was squirting from the leg wound.

"Ethan!" Sharon yelled, taking over Maggie's job. Dr. Choi sprinted towards the exam room, pulling gloves on as he went.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, while assessing the situation himself.

"Uh….I...It…." Noah stammered, looking at the blood that had sprayed across his shirt and jacket.

"It looks like you moved the leg to fast trying to get the splint off. The edge of the bone cut an artery. How's everything else?" Ethan asked, cleaning the area of blood so he could see the artery. The sooner he could locate it, the sooner he could fix it.

"Hey! Where's your head right now? Get back here, your patient needs you!" April said when she noticed the scared look on her brothers face. He nodded, the look at the monitor, ensuring that all the stats were normal.

"I got fresh line of fluids in, a morphine drip, and a transfusion…." Noah said, trying to gather his thoughts. It's not that he hasn't seen things like this before, but the last time he had to deal with it, Connor had been close by the whole time. He knew he was ready for this, but it suddenly was different when everything was up to him, and the patient was spiraling out of control.

"Ok. The artery is tied off for now, but he needs an operating room." Dr. Choi said.

"Uh, we've got bigger problems. His belly is tender and discolored. Get the x-ray." Noah said when he noticed the color of Jays lower abdomen. The nurses wheeled the machine over. Everyone backed away for a moment while the picture was taken, and waited for it to appear on the screen.

"Looks like he's bleeding internally. Tell the OR we're on our way up. Good catch." Dr. Choi instructed the nurses, then said to Noah. Dr. Sexton nodded, and watched as his patient was wheeled away.

"You alright?" April asked, putting a gentle hand on her brothers arm as they walked to the computers.

"Yea….I guess it was just because it was my first time with such a serious case. There was so many different things wrong, I didn't know what to do first. And Will? Is he going to be ok? It looked bad." Noah asked.

"We don't know yet. Connor took him for surgery, so it must be something thoracic. Are you gonna be alright?" she asked as she pulled out labs that needed to be ran.

"Yea, I'll be fine." Noah said, logging info into the computer.

 **Later…**

Will opened his eyes and looked around the familiar hospital room of Chicago Med. As he took in all the wires and tubes attached to him, and tried to come up with all the things that were wrong with him. After a while, he looked over to see his dad sitting on a chair in the corner.

"Hey son. How're you feeling?" Mr. Halstead asked.

"I'm..ok I guess. What're you doing here?" Will asked, slightly confused.

"My kids were in a serious car accident and one…. What kind of a question is that anyway?!" He snapped back, pausing.

"Where's Jay? Can you tell them to move him in here with me? There's plenty of room." Will said, not picking up on the sharp emotion in his father's voice.

"They can't do that…." Pat said, not looking his older son in the eye.

"Why not? I order it all the time. He's probably out of surgery by now. Tell Nat I want to t…."

"He's dead Will." Pat said bluntly, cutting him off. The words felt like a knife through the heart. Wills eyes grew wide as his mind tried to process what he had just heard.

"What do you mean he's de...dead? He….he can't be!" Will said, nearly yelling.

"Sharon said something about complications during surgery. There was an infection." Pat answered, truly hurting for Will. Though he never said it, he loved how close his sons had gotten in the last few years, and knew this would crush him.

"No! NO! No, this can't be true! No! No no no!" Will yelled, tears starting to stream down his face. His dad stood slowly, coming closer and gently touched his shoulder, trying not to hurt him, but comfort him at the same time.

"No! No….no...no….no…."

"No…..no….no…"

Connor scrunched his brow at the sound coming from his patient. He ignored it, and looked back at the lung in front of him. And picked up the suture tray.

"Suction. How's the transfusion going?" He asked, looking up briefly.

"No complications. It's nearly done." the nurse answered. Connor nodded, then looked back down to what he was doing. Then he heard the mumbling again, and looked over. Will's eyes were racing back and forth beneath his eyelids, and sweat beads were starting to form on his face.

"Alright, done. Close him up, I'm going to go get Natalie. Looks like he's dreaming, and I have a feeling he's gonna need someone to wake up to that's a bit better on his eyes than me." Connor said, backing away from his patient and friend.

As he walked to the sink in the prep room to wash his hands once again, he let out a sigh, putting his head in his hands as he leaned against the counter. This was the first time he had had to operate on a colleague, and he couldn't remember the last time a surgery was that stressful. He looked up when he heard the doors swing open.

"How is he?" Sharon asked, walking over to look through the glass.

"Better than he was. The transfusion hasn't finished yet though, so he's not completely out of the woods yet." He answered.

"It sounds like neither of them will be for a little while. I just talked with Dr. Abrams. He's in the process of removing a piece of Jay's skull. He cracked it when he flew through the windshield, and his brain started to swell. This is the second traumatic brain injury he's had, so there's a chance he could have permanent damage. That was after two hours of surgery on his intestines and left tibia. How'd Will do?" she asked after explaining everything.

"I'll be honest, it was really hard. We lost him twice, and that doesn't even count the close call we had with the seizure." Connor said.

"Twice?" Ms. Goodwin asked with surprise.

"The first was in the minute it took us to get him hooked to out ventilator. The one from the ED shorted out somehow, and he stopped breathing. The second time was in the middle of surgery…." Connor drifted off into his thoughts, replaying the last hour.

" _Turn the crank one click more Dr. Bekker. I need better access to the organs. We need to find that rib before it does any more damage." Connor said, looking down at the chaos in front of him. He cleared out more blood and tissue, searching for the pesky piece of bone that had broken off during the earlier set of compressions. Then he suddenly found it when the machine started to beep furiously at him. As he grabbed it and pulled it out, he realized the problem._

" _Bp is dropping! Dr. Rhodes, I don't think I need to remind you that if that blood mixes with the new stuff, we're gonna have an issue." Ava said, suctioning away the area. Connor was about to snap back at her when he felt prompted to looked up, and watched a Wills heart slowed, then stopped all together._

" _The infections in his heart! Get that transfusion going faster!" Connor yelled as the machine screamed louder._

" _You know that's not possible! Start compressions!" Ava said to a nurse._

" _No! If you push anywhere near that lung any more, it'll collapse! I have to shock him." Connor said, grabbing the tiny paddles. One jolt, no response. Two. Same._

" _Dammit Will! COME ON! Clear!" Connor yelled, the anger that had mixed with fear threatening to take over._

" _He's back. Good job." Dr. Bekker said._

" _Thanks, but we don't have time for compliments. We need to close up this lung and then fix his back. There nondisplaced, but the one break is way too close to his spinal cord. The ED wouldn't be the same without him, and if he gets through this, I'm not gonna have him be paralyzed." Connor instructed, going into autopilot for his patient._

"He was down for eight minutes all together. He needs to have someone keep a close eye on him." Connor said, running a hand over his face. He glanced up at the clock. It was close to 4am, and he was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

"Something tells me we won't have much trouble finding someone for that job." Sharon said with a small smile. The two watched as the nurses wheeled Will out of the OR to an ICU room.

"Go home and get some rest, it's been a rough few hours for all of us. I'll talk to Natalie." Ms. Goodwin said. Connor tried to hide it, but she could tell he was exhausted.

"If anything happens?" Connor said.

"You'll be the first call. Go home." She replied. He nodded, and made his way out.

 **Later…**

Natalie opened the door slowly, her instincts telling her to be careful not to wake him, though she knew that wouldn't be an issue. She checked all the wires and machines before sitting down next to him and finally brushing the hair out of his eyes. That's when she noticed how rapidly his eyes were darting around. She knew this happened sometimes when people were unconscious after surgery, but the look on his face made her think otherwise. He was dreaming, and it looked like it wasn't a good one.

"Your at Med, and your safe now. I'm here. It's all going to be ok." She said, stroking his face. She then pulled her chair up next to his bed, and held his hand. After a day spent worrying, she was soon curled up on the chair, fast asleep. Although this time she couldn't be on the bed next to him, her hand never left his.


	5. Chapter 5: How bad?

Chapter 5- How bad?

Natalie yawned and stretched, slowly opening her eyes and looking around the room. She was confused for a second, until the whirlwind of events of the last day came back. She sighed, looking at the lifeless figure in the bed beside her. His skin was starting to get someone color back, courtesy of the ventilator he was hooked to, and would be for the next few days at least. She turned when she heard the doors open. "Maggie? What're you doing up here?" She asked curiously.

"My shift doesn't start for a few minutes, so I came to check on him. Mostly you though. How're you holding up?" She asked, putting a hand on Natalie's arm.

"I'm….scared. I've already lost one guy, I can't…" she trailed off, staring at him. Maggie pulled her into a hug when she saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"He's gonna get through this. They both will. What did Connor say?" She asked when Natalie pulled away after a minute or so.

"The major thing was the punctured lung. He had an infection in his blood, and he had a seizure when he first came in. Someone has to keep an eye on him because he had a transfusion, but there's still a chance that the infection could come back and turn into sepsis. We're trying some antibiotics to see which it'll respond best to. There's also a fracture in the c6 vertebrae, and five broken ribs." Natalie explained, looking at all the monitors surrounding Will.

"Wow. I gotta clock in, but if anything changes, let me know." Maggie replied. Natalie nodded, then stood with her her a minute longer, when Dr. Bekker came.

"Dr. Rhodes and Sharon thought it would be better if the brothers were in a room together. That way when they wake up, they can see that the other is ok. Jay will be moved in any minute." She said.

"Good idea. Thanks." Natalie said. She said goodbye to Maggie, and watched as Connor and Dr. Abrams pushed Jay in minutes later. Natalie helped them get everything setup, then the three doctors stood in silence for a moment, taking everything in.

"How's he doing?" Connor asked, looking over at Will.

"The same. What's the story with Jay?" Natalie answered with a sigh.

"I took a piece of his skull off to relieve some swelling in his brain. We're gonna keep him in an induced coma until the swelling goes down. Most of his injuries were consistent with a massive trauma. He was likely thrown through the windshield. Other than the swelling, he came in with major hyperthermia, so he'll be on a saline drip for a while. He also had some intestine damage, and an open fracture to his tibia." Dr. Abrams explained.

"Wow. Must've been a crazy crash." Connor said with disbelief.

"You should've seen the car. It was basically shredded." Natalie answered. After making sure that the brothers were situated, they again left Natalie alone in the room.

Later…

Natalie walked into the room once again, this time dressed in her scrubs. She had just gotten back from finishing her shift, then a quick visit home. She walked over, and placed the the stethoscope on his chest, trying to hear how the lung was healing. She soon called a nurse and ran more tests before walking to the machine to lower the level of it just as Connor walked in.

"I guess that's a good sign?" he asked, watching her fiddle with the machine.

"Yea. The lung is healing nicely, and he isn't as dependent on the machine anymore. You did a good job." Natalie said.

"I hope so. He fought me like crazy." He said, shaking his head.

"Will being difficult? What?!" She answered sarcastically. Connor laughed, then started to examine Will himself.

"He's improving faster than I thought he would. If he keeps progressing like this, he can probably come off soon." Connor said, hope filling both of them. Both doctors soon turned their attention to the other patient in the room when a machine started to go off. They walked over and started checking his stats.

"His heart rate is to high. He's got a clot somewhere." Connor said, looking around for signs. Natalie put her stethoscope to his chest, a worried look crossed her face.

"He's having trouble breathing. It's a pulmonary embolism. We need to find that clot. I need a nurse in here!" She yelled. Connor quickly pulled the blankets back, searching his lower extremities. After another scan, he found what he was looking for.

"It's in his leg, just above the fracture. Get It's a catheter." Connor said, looking at the dark purple color of the veins and the blue color surrounding them. After putting it in, he watched the monitors start to level off.

"He's breathing better, but I want to put him on oxygen. Hopefully the catheter will resolve it and we won't have to intubate him, get me a nasal cannula. I'll keep an eye on him." Natalie said, pulling the scope away.

"Good. Call me anything changes." Connor said. Natalie nodded, and he returned to his rounds. She soon walked back over to Will's bedside. After checking and double checking all his vitals she brushed the hair out of his eye. She studied the stitches that had closed a gash on his chin, and one a feet few away on his jawline. She wished more than anything that was the worst of his injuries, but she knew he had a long recovery time ahead of him. They both did.

"The ED feels weird without you. Everyone misses you. Even Doris. That takes skill, because she doesn't really miss anyone." Natalie said, thinking of how lonely she had felt, no matter how many people were around her.

"It's ok though. You heard Connor, your improving. Soon you don't have to use this tube, and then you can go ahead and wake up. How does that sound?" she continued, keeping herself busy. She sat down next to him, and held his hand, willing him to squeeze hers. Move a finger, and eyelid, anything. Something to let her know the man she fell in love with was still in there.

 _I know your still in there, but it'd be great if you'd give me a sign_.

A week later…

Natalie looked up from the book she was reading towards the door. She smiled as Hailey walked in. She didn't know much about her other than she had been partnered with Jay after Erin left.

"Hey." She greeted her.

"Hi. Thanks for keeping an eye on them." Hailey said, a shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Natalie could tell she was uncomfortable, so she decided to give her some time alone.

"I'm going to get my stuff. Antonio said he was coming by soon so I could go home for a while……… I hate leaving him…" Natalie paused, then sighed as she stood up.

"He's gonna come out of this just fine. They both will." Hailey said, trying her best to reassure her. Natalie nodded, and left.

"Hey partner. Sounds like you're pretty messed up. You know, when I said I was gonna have to start looking for a new partner, I didn't mean for you to take it seriously." Hailey said. She shook her head, looking at all the machines attached to him. Then there was the thick white bandage that was wrapped around his head, covering his forehead and left temple. He looked like crap. Yet somehow, when she looked at his face, he looked peaceful.

"You need to hurry up and get better. The office isn't the same without you. Everyone's worried about you. I know you've been through alot lately, but you gotta hold on just a little longer. Who am I kidding, you probably can't even hear me." Upton said with a sigh.

"Actually, I think he can. Last time this happened, I sat and talked to him for a few hours. I thought the same thing, and then a while later, he thanked me for what I said." Hailey turned at the sound of Antonio walking in and closing the door behind him.

"Really? He told me before that he's had a few brushes with death. Do you know how many?" Upton asked curiously.

"To many to count by now. Not all of them were here though. I've been told he had a few close calls during his tours. And somehow, he's come back from every single one. That's why I don't doubt he'll come back from this." Antonio said, sitting in the chair next to him.

"Sounds like his stubbornness is in every aspect of his life." She said with a small smile.

"Yea pretty much. Although in this case we better hope so. With all that's happened… it's up to him now." Antonio said with a laugh, then quickly turned somber again.

"Yea. I'm….I gotta go. I just...I really hate hospitals. And I have some uh...some paper…."

"Hey. Go. It's fine. I understand." Antonio said with a nod. He hated them just as much as she did. He understood how awkward this must be for her, seeing as she hasn't been with the unit for very long. It also had to be hard on her. It was on everyone.

After Hailey left, Antonio glanced over at Will, making sure he was ok before scooting his chair closer to Jay.

"Hey kid. It's been a week, you gotta wake up. People are getting worried. Your off the drugs, you should be coming around by now. We're all waiting for you." Antonio said.

He studied the younger agents face, and watched as his expression somehow changed from calm, to surprise.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Antonio asked, watching curiously.

 _Jay opened his eyes and looked around, confused. He was surrounded by white, but it was a weird kind. It wasn't like a room, but it seemed to go on forever. 'Is this heaven? Did I die?' he wondered._ _"No, not quite. Your close to it though." Jay turned around towards the familiar voice._ _"Jack? How are you here? Your...your…" Jay sputtered._ _"Dead? Yea, I know. How many years has it been now?" He asked nonchalantly, while Jay stared in disbelief._ _"Uh….seven years and three days." Jay managed to get out._ _"Sounds about right. Look, I'm here to talk to you about something that's been on your mind lately. Everything that happened that day was supposed to happen." Jack said, coming closer._ _"What do you mean?" Jay asked._ _"I mean that my death wasn't your fault. My legs were trapped, and there was a hole in my femoral artery. I was gonna die whether or not you pulled me out." He answered._ _"I….I could've gotten you out first!" Jay said._ _"Your not listening. I was already dying. And besides, you get me out and leave Jesse or Logan in there? No way. Logan had a baby on the way, and Jesse was about to get married." Jake said, trying to reason with him._ _"But…" Jay stuttered._ _"Look, I've made peace with what happened. It's time you did to." Jack said._ _"You always were very logical. That is, when you weren't being a loose cannon." Jay replied after a few moments._ _"Yea I was kind of a mess, wasn't I?" Jack said with a laugh._ _"Yea, and i've got the scar to prove it! So, is this heaven? Do you…. Do you see anyone else?" Jay asked._ _"There's the Halstead I remember. Always asking to many questions. It's time for me to go. I was told to tell you that if you don't wake up soon, your mom is going to be really upset with you. Your brother needs you." Jack said, seemingly fading away._ _"My Mom? Wait, Wills still alive? I thought… Come back!" Jay said, trying not to sound too desperate, but he wanted answers._ _"Relax. How bout you wake up and find out?" Jack said, as he faded completely. Jay watched as the white around him started to dissipate._

Jay groaned as he moved his head, and a new light took the place of the white that had surrounded him. Antonio moved closer, seeing Jay squint, then start to reach for his forehead. Jay felt the bandage, and immediately started to pull at it, the grogginess overriding his common sense.

"Hey, don't do that. Take it easy." Antonio said, gently pulling his hand away. Jays eyes squinted again, then slowly opened. He blinked, waiting for the blurriness to subside. As it did, Antonio's face came into view.

"Finally decided to join me huh? I was getting tired of talking to a lump." Antonio said with a smirk. Jay smiled, laughing slightly until the movement jostled everything, and pain returned.

"Careful. They took you off the heavy stuff so you'd wake up. You've still got some though." Antonio said when he saw him wince.

"W…….Will?" Jay asked, his voice deep and quiet from a dry, scratchy throat.

"Right next to you. We're still waiting on him, but he's getting better every day." He answered. After he helped Jay drink, he set the cup back down, and watched him slip back out, knowing it was coming since he watched him wake up. While he wished he would've stayed conscious for a while longer, this was the most promising sign they'd gotten in days. He sat back with a content sigh.


	6. Chapter 6: Til the very end

Chapter 6- Till the very end

Natalie ran her usual test, as a smile crossed her face. It had been two weeks since the accident, and both brothers were doing better each day. Jay was staying conscious for longer each day, his fever finally starting to come down. Until now, Will had gotten better, but very slowly. That all just changed. She called for Connor and a nurse, then rolled the x-ray machine over. Connor smiled contentedly when she showed him the pictures.

"We can finally take him off the vent! He's not on the heavy meds anymore, so after that, he should wake up any time." He said, confirming Natalies thoughts. Her smile grew at his words, and he returned it as he got a nasal cannula ready. Natalie carefully pulled the tube out, watching the monitors nervously. Everything stayed normal, and the two doctors looked happily at each other.

"Now we wait!" She said, sitting down next to him, grabbing one of his hands.

 **Later…**

She knew it wouldn't be immediate, but it still felt like he was taking to long to come back to her. She watched him closely.

"Come on Will. Everyone knows you've been getting better. Everyone's waiting on you." Natalie said, squeezing his hand and waiting, willing him to squeeze hers.

"Sounds about normal." Natalie turned towards the tired sounding voice behind her. "Yea, I've been figuring that out. How're you feeling." She asked, turning towards the other brother.

"Like I was thrown through a windshield, then in a coma for a week and a half. So basically, I feel fantastic." Jay answered sarcastically, but with humor.

"So you really did go through the windshield? Do you remember anything else? How'd Will get out?" Natalie asked, trying not to pry, but genuinely curious.

"He...he pulled me out." Will said, trying to clear his dry throat. All attention snapped to the other bed in the room at the sound of the final voice everyone had been waiting to hear.

"Hey! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for You! I love you so much!" Natalie said, nearly squealing with happiness. She kissed his forehead, and handed him a drink.

"So….I guess your not dead?" Will turned his head towards Jays bed.

"I'm talking to you aren't I? If you'd think I'd just give up, you don't know me very well!" Jay answered, thrilled Will was finally awake. He had gotten tired of lying alone in this dreary room that smelled way to much like….well, a hospital.

"I guess it was just a dream then." Will answered, relieved. He picked up his left hand to fix the blanket when a sharp pain shot through his hand. He gasped, looking at the source and trying to self diagnose.

"What's wrong? Is it your chest? Can you breath Ok? Should I…" Natalie panicked, searching him for what could be causing the pain that showed on his face.

"No no No! Relax! It's just my hand. They probably missed it when I came in because of the other, more important issues." Will said, trying to calm her.

"Uh...yea. Yea, that makes sense. Let me take an x-ray." She said, taking a deep breath. She wheeled the machine over, and carefully set the hand on a metal table, knowing that his tender chest likely couldn't handle the weight of a led blanket.

"Looks like you were right. There's a break in your middle metacarpal and one in your proximal phalanx. I'll cast it. What color do you want?" Natalie said, a smile creeping onto her face with the last sentence.

"Hmmm….how about blue." he said, smiling. "That's my favorite color!" Natalie said.

"Because your my favorite." Will said with a cheesy smile.

"Of you guys are gonna keep doing this, at least give me the remote." Jay said, rolling his eyes. Will knew it would hurt, but he couldn't help but let out a small laugh in spite of his brother. He watched the tv along with him while Natalie expertly applied the cast.

The next few days were spent with Natalie doting on him, and him soaking up every moment of it. As days past and the brothers got stronger, it seemed as though the entrance to their recovery room had become a revolving door of friends and family. It was the middle of the day, and the siblings were finally getting some moments to themselves. A few silent moments later, he looked over at Jay, who was laxidazily flipping through the channels on the tv.

"So I guess now is as good a time as ever to talk about...everything." Will said.

"What's there to talk about? We were in a car accident, both nearly died, and our dad only stopped once, and hardly said a word." Jay said with a tone of annoyance, and the slightest hint of hurt.

"That's a discussion for another time. What I'm talking about now is everything that we-that you- went through. Look, I know you hate the idea of it, but you need to talk to someone about all this hurt your holding in! It's time you stopped carrying all that baggage." Will said, sincerity in his voice. He waited for a rebuttal, an argument, or to be told he was fine, but it didn't come. In fact, Jay was so quiet, Will looked over to see if he was still conscious. After a few minutes, Jay sighed, then answered.

"Your right. It's...its to much. You shouldn't have to deal with me like this. I could've killed you when I yanked you out of the car so viciously." Jay said slowly.

"But you didn't. Need I remind you about the chest tube you did? It was damn near perfect!" Will protested, trying to reassure him.

"Still….maybe you should… I don't even know anymore. Everything I get close to gets hurt." Jay said, pausing.

"Stop that. Stop blaming yourself. Your not ever gonna get rid of me, no matter what happens! Haven't you ever heard the saying 'Blood is Thicker than Water'? Your my blood. My only brother. I love you, and I'm with you till the very end!" Will said. The room fell silent once again, until he finally spoke up.

"Thanks. For everything." Jay answered. Will reached across the gap between the beds, and put a firm hand on his brothers shoulder and squeezed. He knew Jay wasn't one for the "I love you" but from the look on his face, he knew he felt it. They both looked up when the door to the room was suddenly thrown open.

"Hey! The game on yet? I brought food!" Adam said, flopping himself down onto a nearby chair. Close behind him came Kevin, then Hailey and Antonio.

"Good job Ruz. Ya killed the moment!" Antonio said with a laugh when he saw the surprised look on the brothers faces.

"Oops…...food?" Adam said awkwardly, offering one of the multiple bags of takeout, a fry already hanging out of his mouth.

"Yes please!" Natalie said, taking it out of Adams hand as she walked in. She climbed onto the bed next to Will, and carefully nuzzled in next to him. Soon Connor, Ethan, April, Noah and what seemed like the rest of the ED filed in to watch the game and join in on the meal. As Jay looked around him, a certain happiness that he hadn't felt in months overwhelmed him, a smile taking over. This right here? This is better than any medicine or treatment the world could offer.


End file.
